Magnesium, how much and tablet/spray

[ChilliChocolateLover]

My RLS has become significantly worse over the last 6 months and I am reluctant just yet to take regular medication for the condition before trying other avenues. I have eliminated caffeine and alcohol and have regular exercise but it doesn't seem to help. I recently tried the Therapulse but at times, I thought it made my legs worse. I have heard that magnesium can help. I currently take a Forceval capsule (multivitamin & mineral) which contains 30mg of magnesium at lunchtime each day. Is this sufficient?? Right timing?? Would a mg spray be better?? Can they both be used together?? Many thanks

[Madlegs1]

Something has triggered your RLS.You really need to go back 6 months and check what changed.

Food, drink , medication etc.

That's why keeping a diary is so important.

It could be something as simple as taking a cough med for a cold .

Or a Chinese meal with msg.

Magnesium needs to be ingested for best results. Any of the - ates are good . Glycinate, or Citrate are easily obtained. About 100 to 300 mg would be needed.

BUT GO EASY.

Magnesium has a laxative effect.

It also has an effect on many medications - so check whether this may be an issue for you.

I take it on the evening -- to help with relaxing.

Some people find the spray good, particularly on the legs before bedtime.

Good luck.

[ChrisColumbus]

I found that magnesium helped me, but I tried that AFTER I found that my ferritin levels were a healthy 200-300+. Yours was only 50, and that was despite not fasting etc beforehand and may therefore have been overstated. Doctors will say that anything between (say) 30-300 is normal, but they generally know very little about RLS and how we can benefit from higher levels.

In my view magnesium is likely to be of limited benefit if your iron levels are low and you have any medication or dietary triggers. For me, magnesium helped until I was on statins and imbibing too much sugar, caffeine and (for me the most deadly) aspartame in diet drinks.

Joolsg , SueJohnson and Madlegs1 have all given you great advice including on how to get your iron tested, how to improve your ferritin levels and the likely benefits etc. I recommend that you start with following their advice.

As for magnesium: I tried oils/sprays to no effect, but others report success with those and from bathing in Epsom salts. I was recommended magnesium citrate tablets which worked immediately, although you have to be careful of laxative effects. Magnesium glycinate (aka bisglycinate and diglycinate) has fewer laxative effects and can help sleep (so they say, I never noticed this when trialling for a month).

[ChilliChocolateLover in reply to ChrisColumbus]

Thanks for your advice. I’m actually booked in to have an iron infusion next week (unfortunately not through the NHS) so I will give that time to see if works. As I’ve tried quite a few things to no avail and am now trying to hold down a job while mega sleep deprived, I’m just trying to add to my toolkit to keep hope going

[Eryl in reply to ChrisColumbus]

Statins mess with your blood sugar and make you more succeible to diabetes so it's no surprise that they make RLS worse. The benefits of statins are overhyped but that's another matter, the answer to the RLS problem is to lower blood sugar by avoiding carbohydrates especially refined ones all of which have a high GI.

[Joolsg]

Try taking ferrous bisglycinate every night before bed until your iron infusion. And 3 pills of magnesium citrate.If raising serum ferritin by iron infusions doesn't help, you will need to consider medications.

[Badger2024 in reply to Joolsg]

This post is the first time I’ve heard that having low ferritin isn’t great for restless legs!! My GP dismisses my RLS and the insomnia it causes. My haemoglobin is fine but my ferritin is usually below 30. Has been for years. I’m 62. In January it was only 14. I don’t eat red meat as I have chronic kidney disease. Recently diagnosed. GP says as long as haemoglobin is okay then low ferritin not an issue. I’ve just started taking ferrograd C every other night in preparation for my next blood test next month. Is ferrous biglycinate better for raising ferritin?

[Joolsg in reply to Badger2024]

Why am I not surprised? The ignorance is widespread. At 30, your ferritin is way too low for RLS.The iron formula you take depends on side effects. Many people experience constipation or stomach upset on iron pills. Ferrous bisglycinate avoids that.

Try taking it every night just before bed for a week to see if it improves your RLS. If so, keep taking every night. If not, take every OTHER night as that fools hepcidin and raises ferritin levels more quickly.

If you can arrange a private iron infusion, do so. Iron infusions dramatically improve 60% of RLS cases.

[Badger2024 in reply to Joolsg]

Thanks so much for that advice. My nephrologist (recently diagnosed with CKD) thinks that I should find out the cause of my low ferritin and suggested I have a gastroscopy and colonoscopy

[Joolsg in reply to Badger2024]

Oh dear. Haematologists wouldn't be surprised at his lack of knowledge.If you can afford it, you could get a private iv iron infusion from the Iron Clinic in Harley Street for £800.

[Badger2024 in reply to Joolsg]

Luckily here in Australia medications are subsidised by the government. One of my daughters has had iron transfusions from time to time as she has an irritable bowel so doesn’t absorb dietary iron well. She never has any money so I’d say it must be pretty cheap here 🤪

[Joolsg in reply to Badger2024]

Are you recently diagnosed with CKD or the neurologist? If you, that explains the RLS and the low serum ferritin. See a nephrologist asap & arrange an iron infusion.

[Badger2024 in reply to Joolsg]

I only figured out myself that I had CKD at the end of last year! My GP sent me to have some tests, ultrasounds etc looking for kidney stones and the possibility of renal artery disease. Both came back negative but showed that my kidneys were atrophied. She seemed to think this was good news. I challenged her by saying that it wasn’t as my filtration rate was terrible and put me in stage 3 CKD. She said ‘oh yes but that’s only mild and nothing to worry about’. Pretty outrageous as CKD is progressive. I’ll never get those nephrons back. When I said that I wanted to see a nephrologist she said, ‘ok if you’re anxious about it’! Luckily it didn't take long to see a nephrologist and she’s brilliant. She ran so many tests for autoimmune diseases which all came back negative. Even sent me to a cardiologist for a coronary CT scan to see if I needed statins for my high cholesterol. It showed I don’t have any plaque so I don’t. All that was free. I didn’t tell her about my restless legs. She’ll have no problem sending me off for an iron infusion. I’m seeing her for the third time in four weeks time

[Joolsg in reply to Badger2024]

RLS is associated with low serum ferritin. There is usually no cause. They do tests to find gastric ulcers/internal bleeding, but RLS patients throw out iron. It's why we need so much more funding and money spent on research.CKD often causes RLS.

[Princegwyn in reply to Joolsg]

I have to add that in my experience you're correct. The ignorance is widespread. And dangerous. The lack of sleep was torture for me. the whole thing made me suicidal.

I would not be here if not for the support of the regulars here helping me. The advice was priceless. My RLS has not gone away but is now manageable.

[Badger2024 in reply to Princegwyn]

I’ve learnt so much just from this thread alone! I’m about to change to a new GP

[SueJohnson in reply to Badger2024]

Improving your ferritin to 100 or more helps 60% of people with RLS and in some cases completely eliminates their symptoms. With your ferritin so low, you definitely want to get an iron infusion as Joolsg said. You can also get one privately by paying for it, but it costs around £800 at least in the UK.

Taking iron every night is what DesertOasis recommends and it does help some people. After trying it for a few days if it doesn't then this is the best advice.

If you take blood thinners, iron binds with blood thinners, potentially reducing the effectiveness.of the blood thinners and of the iron so check with your doctor.

Otherwise take two tablets of 325 mg of ferrous sulfate or 75 mg to 100 mg of iron bisglycinate with 100 mg of vitamin C or some orange juice since that helps its absorption. Ferrous sulfate is fine for most people, but if you have problems with constipation, iron bisglycinate is better.

Take it every other day preferably at night at least 1 hour before a meal or coffee or tea and at least 2 hours after a meal or coffee or tea since iron is absorbed better on an empty stomach and the tannins in coffee and tea limit absorption.

If you take magnesium, calcium or zinc even in a multivitamin, take them at least 2 hours apart since they interfere with the absorption of iron. Also antacids interfere with its absorption so should be taken at least 4 hours before the iron or at least 2 hours after. Don't take your iron tablets before or after exercise since inflammation peaks after a workout. Don't take tumeric as it can interfere with the absorption of iron or at least take it in the morning if you take your iron at night. If you take thyroid medicine don't take it within 4 hours.

It takes several months for the iron tablets or iron infusion to slowly raise your ferritin. Ask for a new blood test after 8 weeks if you have an iron infusion or after 3 months if you are taking iron tablets.

[Badger2024 in reply to SueJohnson]

Hugely helpful. Thanks. I do take Gaviscon four times a day now as I’ve had to go off my proton pump inhibitor that I took for acid reflux. I was on it for six years. My kidney function started going down a couple of years ago but my GP only told me towards the end of last year. I insisted on seeing a nephrologist as the GP couldn’t answer all my questions. The nephrologist thinks the cause of my kidney decline was being on the PPI. Luckily I’m only at stage 3 CKD. Red meat one of the worst things for damaged kidneys so my ferritin is probably now even lower since I stopped eating meat a few months ago. I see her again in four weeks time so will definitely get an iron transfusion. Thanks

[SueJohnson in reply to Badger2024]

Let me modify my advice. If you can't get an infusion the Ferrograd C you are taking is fine and already contains vitamin C.

[ChrisColumbus]

Further to  Joolsg reply: magnesium citrate is usually available as either pills containing 100mg of magnesium (recommended dose generally 3 pills) or 200mg of magnesium (recommended dose generally 2 pills). I did initially take 3 x 200mg pills, but I didn't take more than 400mg at a time to minimise the laxative effect: you may be more or less tolerant than me.The pills tend to be quite large: I find Solgar brand easier to take than H&B own brand because they are better coated and don't stick to my tongue. However, H&B are generally cheaper unless Solgar can be bought in a deal.

[ChilliChocolateLover in reply to ChrisColumbus]

Thanks again. Just one further question. I have just bought magnesium glycinate capsules and realise that you have said tablets. Is there any difference between the two? Many thanks

[ChrisColumbus in reply to ChilliChocolateLover]

I usually take citrate rather than glycinate, because this is easier to find OTC in health food shops. When I trialed glycinate I took Solgar chelated magnesium tablets - 4 a day supposedly containing 400mg of magnesium (although this figure artificially inflated by added oxide, much less bio-available, so probably nearer 300-350mg in truth). Capsules vary by brand: New Leaf - 2 capsules claim to contain 208mg of magnesium, Vitabright 2 capsules claim 300mg magnesium etc.

[SueJohnson in reply to ChilliChocolateLover]

As long as they contain the same amount and type of magnesium there is no difference.

[Pte82]

My cousin has recently tried ionized magnesium capsules each containing 110 mg of elemental magnesium consisting of 85 mg glycinate, 8 mg ascorbate and 17 mg citrate. Ionic magnesium is positively charged and is readily absorbed and used by the body. The daily recommended allowance for adult women is 310-320 mg and men is 400-420 mg of elemental magnesium. In general, take magnesium with food to increase absorption. Boron also increases magnesium absorption and helps reduce it's loss. Search on "Nothing boring about boron". In addition to the magnesium, he is also taking fisetin and said his restless legs have calmed. Vitamin C increases iron absorption so use a time release vitamin C for best results.

[Allyp69]

Surprised Therapulse not helping....relief comes after using it for 10 minutes...not during, for me. I use Sweet Bee Magnesium butter on soles of feet and legs at night. Take a Magnesium tablet but not convinced it's helping..Hope you find reluef.

[SwimLyn]

Just been reading all the advice re magnesium capsules/ tablets & my brain has blown up with all the specifications relating to the amount/ time/ sizes to be taken & am sooo confused now😕 I love this forum as its the one go to for us sufferers to be taken seriously & get great advice but in this instance I'm totally lost I'm the mire of 'techy speak' Can anyone help simplify this for me or am I just being unable to process this due to sleep deprivation???

[DocCookie]

I drink the Magnesium Glycinate powder before bed. It is the maximum dosage and gets right into your system. I also have used the spray and it does work to decrease the restlessness. I also recently used "Restful Legs" which is available on Amazon, and someone on this sight has recommended it. It really has been working well as an OTC solution with non-addictive properties. Best to you.

[SueJohnson in reply to DocCookie]

I used Hylands Restful Legs when my RLS wasn't too bad and it worked for 2 to 3 months but then stopped working.

[Bantamdyno]

Hi, when the sensations in your legs start bend your knees up to your chest to find where the pain is coming from the top or the bottom of you leg , if you feel its coming from the ankle area press hard above the ankle bone to see if there's a very painful spot, this is the trigger point, but unfortunately over the years I have found more, see my posts for effectively treatments I use .

For relief within 10 minuets I use my tsubo,for long lasting effectiveness I use Moxibustion but unfortunately you need painful chee to be effective .

[Bantamdyno]

Moxibustion

I use a small heat pad at 30f